Transforming London into a smart city is an ambitious task. Nevertheless, it is a core part of its Recovery Programme which responds to the challenges of Covid19, by using digital technology to turn London into a cleaner, greener and more resilient city as outlined in the Mayor’s Green New Deal.
Part of the project is to develop low-carbon technology solutions – including retrofitting buildings with energy-saving measures, delivering sustainable energy management systems for new and existing developments, and innovating in shared electric mobility and smart street infrastructure.
Now London, along with Lisbon, Milan, Bordeaux, Burgas and Warsaw have triggered an investment of €250 million in smart technologies as part of the Sharing Cities programme.
The Project is designed to help major cities collaborate on creating solutions to key problems like low carbon transport and buildings and harnessing data for the good of the cities.
So far the money, which comes from a mix of public and private funds across all six cities, including city, regional or national government funds, as well as grants from other organisations including the European Union, has been invested in projects to reduce energy consumption in buildings as well as e-bike and e-car sharing schemes.
In London, which aims to become a zero-carbon city by 2030. The Royal Borough of Greenwich has led the way in expanding the installation of low-carbon heating systems across its social housing stock, encouraging active travel such as cycling and walking and developing electric vehicle solutions.
London’s Chief Digital Officer, Theo Blackwell, said: “London is working closely with European cities to build workable business models for smart technologies. We’ve shown that these technologies are a growing part of the green transition, a top priority for cities and governments across the world as they plan the recovery of our economies.
“London is proud to be a global test-bed for the kinds of partnerships and innovations which are attractive to investors, scalable and designed to meet people’s needs.”
Photo by Yoss Cinematic from Pexels
